The "Crocodile" Ce 6/8 III # 14305 of SBB Historic from Olten made a test run today to Solothurn and back, with regard to the "Sweden adventure". The load was 120 ton of Ae 6/6 # 11425 "Genf/Genève". On August 31th the long and challenging trip to Sweden will start, where the locomotive will take part in the celebrations of 100 years of electric traction in Sweden in the railway museum in Gävle on the weekend 12th/13th September. The locomotive was built in 1926 by SLM and MFO and withdrawn from regular service in 1976. It will be pulled through Germany and Poland by other locomotives to the port of Swinoujscie, then brought to Ystad in southern Sweden by railway ferry and dragged to Ängelholm on the west coast. There, it should be made roadworthy and then running under own power during 2 days and one night to Gävle, the arrival there scheduled for 7th September.
On the lowered pantograph a special contact shoe (1800 mm instead of 1450 mm width) is already mounted for the wider overhead wire zigzags in Sweden. Good luck and safe journey, Crocodile!
